The white-edged nightshade (Solanum marginatum) is native to North Africa, but over time has made itself quite at home in Aotearoa New Zealand. It’s not a major pest, but like a Moroccan tagine that’s been left too long, it has the potential for some serious side effects.
Variegated thistle (Silybum marianum) is a large invasive biennial thistle native to the Mediterranean region, Europe, Central Asia and India. It first made itself at home in New Zealand in 1969.
If you've spotted something out there that's our responsibility to fix, let us know - even if it's resolved itself now, we'd still appreciate the information.
This is also the place to let us know about noisy dogs and neighbours.
Catchment groups are partnerships where people work together to take action on local environmental issues. Find out about active catchment groups and projects in the district and how you can get involved.
Following the release of wasp hoverfly biocontrol agents in 2024 and 2025 at Ronga Valley and Wainui Inlet, a second biocontrol agent – the parasitoid wasp Sphecophaga vesparum – was recently introduced into the Howard Valley to help control invasive Vespula (German and common) wasps.
Our campaign to tackle the invasive Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata) continues to gain momentum. It’s good to see more people understanding the serious ecological risk this species poses. We want to take a moment to thank everyone who has supported our efforts so far.
Chilean needle grass (Nassella neesiana) has been present in Marlborough since the 1940s and is a significant agricultural pest weed. It is now established at several sites in the Wairau Valley, with the westernmost occurrence in the Wye River Valley.
Asiatic knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is an invasive pest plant found growing throughout the Motueka Valley, with smaller infestations also present in the Riwaka and Wai-iti catchments.
